


Retail Therapy

by notenoughtogivebread



Series: Klaine Advent 2014 [6]
Category: Glee
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gen, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-04-11 00:18:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4413572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notenoughtogivebread/pseuds/notenoughtogivebread
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for Klaine Advent 2014. Blaine has an unexpected day off from rehearsals from the King's Island Christmas Spectacular, and spends it with his new friends Kurt and Mercedes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Retail Therapy

Dalton let out for Christmas a full week before McKinley, but that didn’t mean Blaine had any time to hang out with his new friend Kurt. For one thing, he had rehearsals, and for another, Kurt was insanely busy, with a frighteningly detailed Christmas prep list to go through. But at least he amused Blaine all during the endless hours of run-throughs and costume fittings and choral rehearsals with the ongoing saga of his “Adventures of a Retail Ninja” via text. When the director announced on the Tuesday before Christmas that they were shutting down the stage Wednesday so the electricians “could have a tech rehearsal that doesn’t end up sending half our costumes up in flames,” he jumped at the unexpected day off to see if he could join Kurt.

 **warblerboy:** Hey any need of Superhero Sidekick for yr retail adventures tmrw?

 **Mcqueenlives:** Superhero? What are we, 5?

 **warblerboy:** Ninja, Kurt? Plus you forgot you told me all about yr love for the pink power ranger. I’m onto you.

 **Mcqueenlives:** I suppose you can b the Robin to my Batman. Wait. No rehearsal?

 **warblerboy:** Long story, but no. So it’s a yes?

 **Mcqueenlives:** Meet us at the fountain at the Lima Mall at say 10? Ill be the one wearing the black cape.

 **warblerboy:** Do I have to wear the short yellow cape? I was hoping to be a bit more discreet.

 **Mcqueenlives:** You have clothes that aren’t yr Dalton uniform?

 **warblerboy:** haha. See you then. Warning: I drew my cousin Angela and my Tita Camille in the Anderson Family Gift Madness. Girl shopping not my strong suit.

 **Mcqueenlives:** Good thing I have a little Mercedes on my utility belt then.

 **warblerboy:** Ill out you as a superhero fanboy yet, Hummel.

__________________________________________________________

Blaine had been nervous about Mercedes coming along, because he wasn’t sure she had received the best first impression when Kurt and he had first been hanging out. She had been patient, but Blaine cringed a bit remembering her bored face and how totally wrapped up in their new friendship the boys had been. But when she saw him sitting on the fountain’s edge, she squealed with delight.

“Now, I want to make one thing clear right off. Kurt LIKES women’s fashion, but I _live_ it. So give me the deets on your girls, and we can get started on wowing them.”

“Don’t you even want to know my budget?”

She took in his Burberry scarf and polished shoes, and said drily, “I don’t think money’s really a problem, prep school.”

“No, really, it _is._ I got this jacket from Old Navy! And I have to pay for these gifts myself. It’s in the rules. So I have to buy them out of my summer wages. Well, and in retrospect the money I’ll make next week.”

“I told you Blaine’s singing in the Christmas Spectacular at King’s Island, didn’t I?” Kurt was beaming.

“Only about a thousand times,” she scoffed, but there was fondness in her voice.

“We should really go to see you. What do you think, Cedes?”

“No, no. Oh, God, Kurt. It’s really embarrassing. It involves elf hats and shoes with jingle bells and tights.”

Mercedes grabbed his arm. “Boy, you are really in trouble now. We’ll probably be able to book a bus…just think of the delicious blackmail photos, Kurt.”

Kurt, for his part, looked like he was clearly envisioning the costume, his impish grin fighting with the blush creeping up his cheeks.

Blaine blushed himself, thinking of the bright red tights he wore during the Santa’s Workshop scene (Actually, he wore them under the rest of his costume changes as well. Those things were a bitch to get into!).

Mercedes looked between the two of them, sighed, and asked, “Do you have a list?”

He stood and started walking with them, opening his coat to pull his phone out and scrolling though until he found his list. As he handed it over to her, Kurt paused and said, “Wait. Is that what you’re wearing to sing _Baby It’s Cold Outside?” >_

“Oooh. Elf romance! This gets better and better.” She was cackling now, but she bumped him gently with her shoulder as she scrolled through his ideas.

“No. No. Haven’t you ever heard of a costume change? For that scene, we’ve gone sort of Old Hollywood. It’s a really classy look.”

“I’ll bet you look like a young Gene Kelly.”

“Kurt, if you start gushing about long-dead movie stars, Blaine and I are going to Victoria’s Secret.”

THAT didn’t sound like a good idea. Panicked, he looked at Kurt, only to be met with an amused arched eyebrow. Clearly he was on his own. “I’d be honored to be compared to Gene Kelly. Wish I could dance like that. Such grace.”

“Okay then. It’s decided. We’ll go see you be Gene Kelly AND Elf #3. Now, come on, let’s get started on these ideas for your holiday victims.”

“But no Victoria’s Secret?”

“You guys are such babies. Fine. No Victoria’s Secret.”

___________________________________________________

After 3 solid hours of shopping and 10 bags—he counted, they desperately needed a snack and a place to sit. Kurt vetoed the food court; too close to Santa’s Castle and so full of hungry, overstimulated kids. Mercedes groaned at the line of people waiting for a table at the mall Breadstix, wishing she had worn her Uggs rather than these more fashionable boots. So they had gotten Auntie Anne’s pretzels and strolled looking for a quiet bench. Blaine spied one finally down by the Church on the Mall and scooted ahead to claim it for them. The others came after slower, Mercedes balancing three opened dipping sauces and Kurt two large lemonades along with their packages.

As they approached, Blaine said, “Look, we were lucky to get this. There’s going to be a choir performance here in a few.”

“Ooh, what church?” Mercedes asked.

“Calvary Presbyterian. I don’t know about their choir—do they have a good reputation?”

“A church choir’s a church choir,” Kurt said flatly, carefully placing one of lemonades by Blaine’s ankle and tearing into a buttery pretzel.

“Kurt, how can you say that? You’ve heard Bright Hope Baptist! We’re the best!”

“Mercedes! Is that your church? Our choir director’s always on about how good you are. Father Tim sometimes says he should just become a Baptist, his fanboying is that bad. You have a new soloist, right? She’s just killing it, Charles—that’s the choir director—says.”

It was Mercedes’ turn to blush.

“No way! Oh, I’d love to hear you sing.”

“You’re always welcome to come hear us.” She glanced at Kurt. “Maybe—before we see Blaine, you guys could come see me?”

“Well if Blaine’s friend Charles is right, and you’re killing it, how could we stay away? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you got a solo, Mercedes!” Kurt smacked at her arm.

“Are you doing a concert that’s not part of your Christmas services? Because I’m on for Midnight Mass.”

Kurt leaned across Mercedes to face him. “WAIT. You sing in a choir? In a church? With a Mass?”

“Yeah. St. Rose’s. I’ve been going there my whole life.”

“St. Rose’s? That big Catholic church?”

“You’ve met my mom, Kurt.” 

“What does THAT mean?

“Just—you really have a problem with this, don’t you?”

Mercedes was way too quiet. And Kurt just looked confused. “Blaine, you’re gay. And the Church hates gay people.”

Blaine didn’t know what to say. St. Rose’s was, well, it was music and candlelight and quiet weekday morning Masses with his mama. It was the other kids in his First Communion and Confirmation classes. It was little old ladies who still pinched his cheeks, and friends of his dad who asked him seriously about his college plans. It was Father Tim, who took his turn by Blaine’s bedside after the horrors of the dance and who never made him feel less. It was home. But looking at Kurt’s face, he didn’t know how he could explain that.

“Well, for that, Mama always says that I shouldn’t let the thoughts of ignorant people interfere with my relationship with God—even if those people are dressed up like bishops. “

Mercedes smiled and nodded. “Or intimidating church elders.”

“Right,” was all Kurt said. He looked like Blaine had personally offended him.

He elbowed Mercedes and switched places with her, sitting down close to Kurt. “Hey. This looks like it really upsets you. I don’t want me being Catholic to spoil our friendship. Or, for that matter, you being—I guess you’re an atheist?” Kurt nodded, frowning.

“Yeah. See, turning away because of a difference like that would be like, I don’t know, Mercedes turning me away because I like to eat sushi.”

Kurt giggled a little hysterically. “Well, she DOES think it’s unsanitary.”

“You got that right. Fish is only safe to consume if it’s batter dipped and deep fried. Everyone knows that.”

The choir filed in then and took their places on the risers. They started with _Mary’s Little Boy Child._ Blaine leaned forward to listen, his mind a tumult, so aware of Kurt, pressed close on the small bench, holding himself tense and conflicted. As the choir moved on to _O Little Town of Bethlehem,_ he glanced up to see Kurt studying him.

“We okay?”

“It’s—it’s a lot to take in. I guess I don’t really know you very well, yet. You’re more complicated than I thought, Blaine Anderson.”

“Same. But it’s worth it, right? Getting to know each other? I’d hate to think I let you down someway.”

Kurt’s eyes softened, and he offered his pretzel to Blaine. They shared the pretzels and the lemonades around as the choir drifted from one hymn to the next, Mercedes on one side criticizing technique and Kurt on the other grousing at the sameness of the theme. And Blaine reveled in it all, in this moment of grace and communion in the middle of a shopping mall, reveled especially in their differences, excited to know more about this boy, who appeared so frail but seemed to have a will of iron. And if he thanked God for the miracle that had brought these new friends into his life, well, that was private.

**Author's Note:**

> Another of my stories that explores the characters' spirituality. I like what the show did with Mercedes and Sam, and I wanted to try it with some others.


End file.
